Background
The son of William Pepys, a banker, and his wife Hannah, daughter of Doctor Richard Russell of Brighton, was born in London on 26 May 1742.
The son of William Pepys, a banker, and his wife Hannah, daughter of Doctor Richard Russell of Brighton, was born in London on 26 May 1742.
He was educated at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford, whence he graduated Bachelor of Arts on 9 May 1764. He then studied medicine at Edinburgh, and afterwards graduated at Oxford, Master of Arts
On 13 May 1767, Bachelor of Medicine on 30 April 1770, and Doctor of Medicine on 14 June 1774. Before his Bachelor of Medicine degree Pepys obtained a license to practice from the university of Oxford, took a house in London, and on 10 February 1769 was elected physician to the Middlesex Hospital, and held office for seven years. In the summer he used to practise at Brighton.
He was elected a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians on 30 September 1775, was censor in 1777, 1782, 1786, and 1796, treasurer from 1788 to 1798, and president from 1804 to 1810.
In 1777 he was appointed physician-extraordinary to the king, and in 1792 physician-in-ordinary. He was created a baronet on 22 January 1784.
Pepys was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1780. Pepys attended George III in his mental disorder of 1788-1789, and in that of 1804.
He was examined on the subject of the king"s health by a committee of the House of Commons on 7 January 1789.
He then thought it likely that the king would recover in time, and stated that he had observed signs of improvement. He attended two days a week at Kew Palace, where the king was, from four in the afternoon till eleven the next morning, having a consultation often either with Sir George Baker or Doctor Richard Warren. In 1794 Pepys was made physician-general to the army, and was president of an army medical board, on which it was his duty to nominate all the army physicians.
When so many soldiers fell ill of fever at Walcheren, he was ordered to go there and report.
As a consequence the board was abolished. But Pepys was granted a pension.
Pepys had a large practice, and after Edward Jenner"s discovery he was an active supporter of the National Vaccine Institution. His house was in Park Street, Grosvenor Square, and he died there on 17 June 1830.
Royal Society.